Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan

Rated R

             “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” is one of the funniest, most original, and best films all year. Writer/director Shane Black’s movie is fresh and completely satirical when it comes to film noir clichés, managing to dig at the staleness of modern thrillers while creating its own genre and style. Its movies like this that make me glad I review films.

            Robert Downey Jr. is fantastic as Harry, a small-time thief running from the cops. In his desperation to escape, he stumbles into an acting audition for a cop drama, and surprisingly gets the role. He is quickly thrown into the Hollywood social circle, and is assigned detective lessons with Gay Perry (Val Kilmer, very funny), who, yes, is a homosexual. They begin solving an actual murder, while Harry gets involved with Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), whose sister’s death may or may not be linked with Perry’s case. As the storylines intertwine and one hilariously dark situation follows another, the movie keeps up its untraditional narrative and noir-like settings.

            Downey Jr. and Kilmer are underrated, and hopefully this film will bring their talents to light. I was reminded of “Fargo” in the way this movie made me laugh out loud at disturbed, often gruesome circumstances, but “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” is likely to be more audience-friendly and more “ha-ha” funny than the previous film.

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